Cape Comment 7-25-08

Thursday

Jul 24, 2008 at 2:00 AMJul 24, 2008 at 9:00 PM

Ed Semprini

CHOWDAH BOWL: Near-century Morris: When a Falmouth Enterprise reporter started to interview Frank M. Teixeira Sr. for a 99th birthday story, the oldtimer asked, “Who do you work for, The New York Times?” Reporter Christopher Kazarian enjoyed the joking words and then went on to report that Teixeira continues to till his seven-acre farm in East Falmouth, assisted at times by great-grandchildren; sells some of his many vegetables; and two years ago redesigned a fox-proof henhouse after a fox killed all his chickens. Asked what keeps him going, Teixeira credits a simple daily-routine approach to living. “I would wake up in the morning, my wife made me breakfast, I went to work and came home,” he said. And through the years, his driving habits also have been routine (around town) – and still are. Last month Teixeira received his renewed drivers’ license. It expires in – 2013!.... “Twig” the Turtle: Before too long, the temperamental “Twig” (name given by CC) will be turning, twisting and twirling above Wellfleet, mostly as a reminder of an offbeat chapter of town history, but primarily as a weather forecaster. “Twig” is a weather vane in the image of a turtle, the culprit that delayed construction of Our Lady of Lourdes Church for months. And that’s a titillating yarn that has given the locals the giggles. Briefly, as told by The Cape Codder, construction of the church could not start until land was set aside as a habitat for turtles – turtles the Rev. John Adams said he never saw, that parishioners never saw and that altar boys never spotted after the Rev. Adams offered them $50 for every turtle they found. But now the turtle will be visible – an Eastern Box turtle with gold-leaf spots far above Route 6, site of the new church…. “Poop Palace” III: The pretty brown-haired waitress at Spanky’s Clamshack on the Hyannis harbor smiled as she responded to a patron’s question. “Negative. It’s all negative, locals and tourists,” she said in answer to a query seeking comments she heard on the controversial huge building disfiguring a section of Bismore Park, and now known as “The Poop Palace.” Locals are really upset. One recently displayed her displeasure in a letter to the Cape Cod Times. Carol G. Ferland of Hyannis called the structure that will be used for public rest rooms and an office “a monstrosity.” And then there are the long-time vacationists from America’s heartland – Iowa – who stay only two blocks from the waterfront. But their comments are for another time…. It’s Morris Again: To the Chathamite who questioned the selectmen’s leaning to “retirees” and “oldtimers” when making appointments to town boards, CC quotes the headline over the letter to The Cape Cod Chronicle: “Thank God for Older Folks.”…. Belson No Jaded Codder: The chant usually begins after the Fourth. It swells when August arrives. It’s the same year after year after year: “It won’t be long now; they’ll soon all be gone.” It’s a silly sing-song with sour notes. We bring this up because of a column by The Cape Codder’s Matthew Belson in which he professes his love for his favorite holiday, the Fourth, and refuses to join in on the chant: “It’s too early to become a jaded Cape Codder,” weary of visitors. Belson then tells about the oldtimer who, come Labor Day, hoists a flag with the letter “V” in Morse code, the symbol for “victory,” in declaration that once again he survived the summer. • • • You’re up there, Morris, if you played baseball on Barnstable’s first Little League team…. Query: Hyannis marked the loss of two landmarks in the same year – 1950. History enthusiasts should know them. Answer below. • • • Newsquotes: “The water is so filthy. I came out with a black face and body,” – Lynn Weber of East Dennis on dredging sludge reaching beach in East Dennis. (In The Register). …”I don’t want anything out of this except to be a lobster.” – Mark Ceria, Provinctown’s “Lobsterman,” a street performer garbed in a bright red lobster uniform whose license was suspended for alleged solicitation. (In The Cape Codder). …”It’s the first time I’ve seen parents come in early with their children’s summer reading lists. It’s always been the day before Labor Day.” – Paul Noonan of Parnassus Books in Yarmouthport. (In The Register). • • • Answer to query: Old Masonic Hall behind the former Hyannis Trust Building on Main Street and the Hyannis Village Seminary, formerly the Cape Cod Hospital. • • • Quotebook: “To the ladies, God bless them, may nothing distress them.” (Freixenet Book).

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